2014 was unforgettably forgettable

The year 2014 is one I don’t want to remember but will never forget.

As we sit on the doorstep of 2015 it’s worth a moment to reflect and what was and ponder what can be. One of the first columns I wrote for The Sealy News last year was based on resolutions and predictions. I correctly predicted that the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys would not be in the Super Bowl. My beloved Denver Broncos were – until the first snap of the game.

I talked about changes to come, including a new county judge, my daughter studying abroad in Italy and my son graduating from high school. Heather did have a remarkable semester in Florence, Italy. My son, however, didn’t graduate from Brazos High School. He just recently graduated from University of Texas High School online from his new home with his grandparents in Florida.

It’s a long story that I won’t get into and remains part of the reason I really don’t care for the year that passed. The biggest reason had to do with the Grim Reaper coming for my mother, grandmother, a cousin, an uncle and a couple of acquaintances. 

When I joined the staff at the newspaper on Jan. 2, I had achieved my biggest goal for the year and that was to be employed back at a community newspaper. At the time I was the newbie. By August I was the editor and the longest tenured person on staff. That’s a lot of change and some new friends come and gone. Even now we’re looking for a new reporter and an advertising representative.

There have been some highlights, including skydiving at Westside Skydivers Houston, getting to meet Steve Wariner, seeing Ronnie Milsap in concert and renewing some old friendships. I’m fulfilling a decades-long dream to fix my teeth but am not happy with the pain and discomfort of braces.

Looking ahead, 2015 promises to be an interesting year. We have a new county judge in Tim Lapham. The Sealy City Council will most likely go $15 million in debt to make upgrades to the sewer plant and build an indoor recreation facility. We will see presidential campaigns kicking into high gear. I suspect we will continue to see unrest between police and minorities, though hopefully not here in Austin County.

Sealy should see a new police chief this year with the retirement of John Tollett. We will see some serious traffic congestion this spring when repairs are made to the Hwy. 90 bridge, so be ready for that. The Legislature is in session and there is no telling what will come out of Austin in the coming months. Speaking of which, we will soon have a new state representative to replace Lois Kolkhorst, who is now our state senator.

I know a lot of residents will be happy to see the Sealy ISD take the wrecking ball to the Best Budget Inn here in the next few days. If all goes as desired by the school district, the demolition will continue down Hwy. 90 to the Pueblo Motel. I suspect that area will look radically different by the time the Tigers kick off the next football season.

On the curiosity front, look for the launch of the Elio, a three-wheeled vehicle that gets 84 mpg and retails for $6,800. I really want one of those! Other things of interest include some eagerly awaited movies including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Speaking of movies, Sealy’s own Roderick Green will make his big-screen debut as an extra in “Taken 3” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.”

Thinking of movies, mark your calendars on Oct. 21, 2015, as that is the day Doc and Marty fly their DeLorean to the future in “Back to the Future 2.” It’s hard to believe that the future has arrived!

On that note, I will leave you with a wish that 2015 is a season of joy and prosperity in your life.

Will there be peace for police and protestors alike?

It’s Christmastime – a time for peace on earth and goodwill toward our fellow man. It’s a time to reflect on the birth of Christ, the Prince of Peace.

As we gather in our homes around our Christmas trees and exchange gifts and feelings of joy and gladness, I can’t help but wonder a few things. Particularly, I wonder how some folks around Ferguson, Mo., are enjoying their Christmas this year.

How many people are opening gifts that were looted from stores in the riots that so devastated the community (or gifts bought with black market money from the sale of looted merchandise)? How many small business owners are sharing a very humble Christmas – or no Christmas at all – because their stores were burned out or looted beyond profitability?

How many law enforcement officers are able to share a relaxing, peaceful day with their families without fear that vengeful rioters might strike? How many families are missing members who were locked up because of riotous activities?

It’s not just in Ferguson. The “protests” were nationwide. Ferguson was just the flashpoint. There is a great deal of mistrust between the public – minorities in particular – and the police (i.e. all law enforcement). The pendulum of public opinion has swung a long way since Sept. 11, 2001, when all police, fire and other first responders were trusted, infallible heroes.

We now see reports of cops killing unarmed suspects and not being indicted. Thanks to technology, photos and video of police doing an unpleasant side of their jobs are now rampant on the Internet and other media. It’s led to a bigger “us versus them” mentality than we’ve seen in decades.

It’s unfortunate that a few, isolated cases like the one in Ferguson have been blown so far out of proportion as to reflect so negatively on all law enforcement. Most cops are the good guys. They’re the heroes doing a difficult and often thankless job. Sure, there are some bad apples, but you get that in any profession.

While I can’t condone a cop killing an unarmed civilian, I also know I was not there when it happened and am not privy to what actions prompted the officer to shoot. I do know that the response to the shooting is totally uncalled for. Under no circumstances is rioting and looting an answer or solution to a problem like this.

If the underlying problem is distrust of law enforcement, than breaking more laws and placing more officers at risk of life and limb is certainly not the way to try and build trust and resolve any issues. If you want to win or sway someone’s opinion to your side, you do it with the carrot, not the stick.

I believe that the shooting of the black suspect by the white officer in Ferguson was capitalized on as an excuse to justify criminal activity. It’s not just the mayhem in Ferguson, but also the children who have boycotted their schools in Denver and the crowds who tried to shut down the Galleria in Houston.

As I look at the fallout I have to ask myself how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would feel about it if he were alive today? I highly doubt he’d be standing with the rioters. I really feel that this is a major step backwards in civil rights and race relations.

If police brutality has become a problem, there are other ways of dealing with it than burning business and cars and stealing goods from stores. I think that these so-called protestors are behaving in a way that further justifies the behavior of the cops. It has put the police on edge and made them much more wary of each person they deal with in every situation they approach. In short, the demonstrators have had the opposite affect of what they intended.

Until rational minds can prevail, true peace can never be achieved. I have to assume that peace is the objective. At least, that is what I hope as we celebrate Christmas and dream of peace on earth.